Electrical control for suction cleaners



Oct. 3, 1961 J. H. BEACH ELECTRICAL CONTROL FOR SUCTION CLEANERS Filed Sept. 29, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.

Oct. 3, 1961 J. H. BEACH 3,

ELECTRICAL CONTROL FOR suc'rIoN CLEANERS Filed Sept. 29, 1958 3 Sheets$heet 2 Oct. 3, 1961 J. H BEACH ELECTRICAL CONTROL FOR SUCTION CLEANERS Filed Sept. 29, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Unit-ed s t smen:

3,002,216 ELECTRICAL CONTROL FOR SUCTION CLEANERS Justice H. Beach, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Sept. 29, 1958, Ser. No. 763,875

3 Claims. (Cl. 15-327) The present invention relates to suction cleaners and more particularly to a switch arranged with respect to the cleaner suction air inlet to control operation of the cleaner motor.

An object of the invention 'is to provide a suction cleaner with an electric motor switch which also controls removable insertion of a hose into the cleaner air inlet. Another object is to provide a suction cleaner with an electric motor switchwhich prevents attachment of the hoseto the cleaner air inlet when the switch is in closed circuit position for cleaning surfaces by air discharged under pressure from the cleaner. A further object is to provide a suction cleaner'with one motor switch main? tainedin open circuit position when a hose is attached to the cleaner air inlet and another motor switch on the hose for remotely controlling operation of the cleaner motor. Other objects and advantages of the, invention will .becomeapparent from the following description and drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an enlarged sectional view of the cleaner 7 air inlet with the hose attached and the remainder of the cleaner casing shown on a reduced scale,

FIGURE 2 is -a sectional view of the cleaner air discharge opening,

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the switch lever show:

ingthe switch in open circuit position in full lines and in closed position in dot and dash lines,

FIGURES 4 and.5 are sectional views taken on line 4-4 in FIGURES and showing the switch respectively in open and closed positions, and

FIGURE 6 is a broken view partly in section of the cleaner hose detachedfrom the cleaner.

The .embodiment of the invention herein disclosed com-' prises a cleaner body having a supporting base 11 on which is suitably mounted the lower portion 12 of a spherical casing 13 the upper portion 14 of which is hinged at 15 to the lower casing section 12 and is secured thereto by a latch 16. A motor, 17 and fan18 are combined as aunit which is supported Within the lower casing section 12 between a resilient cup 19 and a bulkhead 20 secured to the lower casing section 12.

- Formed in the top wall 21 of the upper casing section 14 is a suction air inlet 22 defined by an arcuate wall portion 23 terminating in an offset portion 24. A metal sleeve 25 is secured to the casing top wall 21 by a bolt 26 and has an outwardly oifset upper wall portion 27 defining an offset area 28 whereby the defining wall of the cleaner inlet 22 projects inwardly of the offset wall portion 27, and the lower portion 30 of the sleeve 25 is contoured to form a continuation of the inlet opening 22. Attached to the sleeve 25 is a sponge rubber ring 31 the lower surface 32 of which engages a mounting plate 33 of a filter bag 34 having an inlet 35. A suitable bracket 36, only partly shown, is mounted on the bulkhead 20 to support the bag mounting plate 33 relative to the sponge rubber ring 31. An air outlet 37 similar in contour to the inlet opening 22 is provided in the lower casing section 12 within the periphery of the base 11 as shown in FIGURE 2 for discharging air from within the casing 13.

tric insulating material 42 along the inner surface 29 of the top wall 21 of the casing section 14. Each of the contacts 3839 has a portion 44 projecting into the offset sleeve area 28 and terminates in an arcuateend 43 projecting inwardly of the cleaner air inlet opening 22 as clearly shown in FIGURES 1 and 3. The oppoi site end of the stationary contact 38 is connected by leads 45 and 46 through the cleaner motor 17 to an electric plug 47, and the other contact 39 is connected by a lead 48 to the plug47 which is connectible to a source of electric current in a manner well known in the art. Cooperating with the stationary contacts 38-39 is a switch ring lever 50 pivotally supported by the bolt 26 and has a projecting operating member 51. The switch ring 50 is provided with a coating of insulation and overf lies a ring 49 of insulating material and is insulatably mounted on the bolt 26. The switch ring 50 has an opening 52 of the same configuration as the cleaner air inlet 22 and is" defined by an arcuate wall portion 53 and'an ofiset section 54 as shown in FIGURE 3. Two

I contacts 55-56 depend from the ring 50 and the con-j cleaner hose.

. circuit position.

tact 55 has an offset surface 57, whereby when the switch ring is rotated clockwise as ,viewed in FIGURE 3 to the full line position the contact 55 is disengaged from the stationary contact 38 and the switch is in open In the open circuit position the open' ing 52 in the switch ring 50 is alignedwith the suction air inlet 22. Movement of the switch counterclockwise to the dot and dash'line position in FIGURE 3 brings the contacts 5556 into closed circuit position relative to the stationary contacts 3839, as shown in FIGURE 5, to energize the motor 17. When the switch ring 50 is in its closed circuit position a portion 58 thereof over; lies thecleaner air inlet 22, as shown in FIGURE 5, to preventthe operator inserting the end of a suction The hose 60 employed with the suction cleaner is shown in FIGURE 6 and includes a connector 61, flexible hosei portion 62 and metal wand 63 to which a suitable unshown surface cleaning tool may be attached. The connector 61 is. formed of electric insulating material and hasa portion 64 contoured complementary to the air inlet 22 and the lower portion 30 ofthe cleaner inlet sleeve 25 to prevent rotation relative to the air inlet 22. Mounted in a recessed portion 650i the connector 61 is a spring latch 66 having a hook 67 engageable with the lip of the cleaner air inlet 22 as shown in FIGURE 1 to removably attach the hose to the cleaner body. The latch 66 is coated with insulation on its exterior surface. A pair of terminals 68 only one of which is shown is mounted on the connector 61 by screws 69. Each terminal 68 has one end 70 seated against a shoulder 71 to provide an arcuate contact engaging portion 72 normally spaced from the connector 61.

The flexible portion 62 of the hose 6!) comprises a tube of plastic material 73 formed throughout its length with a spiral corrugation 74 and lodged within the inner facing folds of the corrugations are two electrical conductors 75--76 enclosed within a sheath 77 of electric insulating material. The slack material in the tube 73 between the electric conductors 7576 allows the hose portion 62 to be extended. The inner end of the flexible hose 62 is suitably secured to the cylindrical portion 78 of the hose connector 61 and is enclosed by hand grip 79. The conductors 7576 are attached to the s esaw n in the circuit through the conductors TS-76 to the contacts 68 on the hose connector 61.

If it is desired to cleansurfaces by means of a suction air stream h p t e ns the p oioetiQB 25 9 the tch r to and o a h .io t to arran e h con c 5546 in pe c cu P si on o hown to FIGURE 4 whereby the switch contact 55 is disengaged from the cleaner contact 38. When the switeh ring is in open circuit position its opening 5 2 is aligned with the cleaner air inlet 22 to permit insertion oi the hose connector 61 into the sleeve 25. The air irrlet 22 and lower portion 36 of the sleeve 25 are formed complementary to the hose connector or so that their oifset portions prevent rotation of the connector 61 relative to the cleaner casing. The offset portions also position the connector contacts 68 in engagement the stat o ary contacts -3 t omnl t t e ole t ise i?- quit from the electric plug 47 to the notor 1 7 and to the remote switch 31 on the hose oil. it will he noted that with the hose connector til insertedin the lair inlet 2,2 the cleaner switch ring i remai rs inopencircuit and the hose connector 61 prevents rotation of the switch rin 50 to closed Po n Mo ment of the remot w tch r 82 to its on roei ionolo e e silen t the cleaner motor 17 to energize the latter ar d operate h a 1 Rotation of t e ta 1% crea a ilot oa airstream in the hose 66 whereby movement -of the unsh w cleaning l e a surf c remo es d r ther from by suction and the dirtladen air passes through the hose 6% into the filter bagfi l whichren' oves the dirt from the air stream and the latteris iinallydischarged under pressure through the outlet 37 to the atmosphere. When the suction cleaning operation is eorr pleted the switch lever 82 is moved to off position to tl" I the motor 17.

gagement with the cleaner contacts 3287-39 as shown in FIGURE 5 to close the electrical circuit from theplug 47 to the cleaner motor 17 to energize the latter. In the closed circuit position of the ringo switch 50 the portion 58 overlies the air inlet 22, as shown in FIGURE-5, to prevent insertion of the'hose connector 61 into the air inlet 22. in the even the operator has neglected to previously insert the hose connector 61 in the air outlet 37. The rotating fan 18 draws air through the inlet 22 and discharges the air under pressure frqm the cleaner icasing 13 for passage through the outlet 37, hose 60 and the cleaning tool onto the surface to be cleaned.

While I have shown and described but one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this embodiment is to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. I do not Wish to be limited to the particular structure shown and described but toinclude all equivalent variations except as limited by the scope of the claims 4' h m i I claim:

1. suction cleaner comprising: a casing having an air inlet open at ali times to ,atrr'iospher''aridfan air out let, a motor-fan unitin said' c'asing ref-sow ng air through said inlet into said casing and discharging air through said outlet, a hose having anoz zle atone end for cleaning a surface/a co nnector a't tlie oppositeend of said hose insertable in snapper air inletfor'dr awirig air through said hose into saidcasi ig and insertable'" in said outlet tor dischargingair through said hose; first contact means mounted on said te sing at said inletand connected to themot orof saidYnotof fan' ufiiflffirst switch means for said f rst contact means movabr niountedlon said casing and movable'to bpeii and c'lo sedcir'cuit positions to control operat ion oftlie rfiotorI said first'switich means when in'closed circuit position arrariged'fwithirespect to said air inlet to srevssrrnsenibn er said'cohnector whereby air passes directlythro u gh said spent inlet into said casing and is'fdischargedthroii g'h said out} let and said first switchmeaiiswhenlrriovd toIop'en circuit position arranged with respect toh'aid airlinle't fto permit insertion ofsaid ho s corinctor intois'aid inlet, and second contactmeans mountaineerss me ter and engageable with said fifst contact meansiwhen Lsa'id hose connector is inserted in said air inlet, and second switch means on said hose and electrically coniicted'with said second contact rneans'to openand close. the circuit to said motor when hose is attachedtosaidair-inlet.

2. A suction cleaner as described in claim 1, assists hose connectorheingformedtof electric insulating material to provide-a terminal block on which ans-second contact means are mounted 7 i l i I 3. A suction cleanerasidescribed in claim 1, and means preventingmovement of said first's'witch metastases closed circuit position when said hose connector'is'insertedin said airinlet. j

' References Cited in the file of-this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

